Snap Shot
by Caris L. Clearwater
Summary: Just a short story on Holly trying to convince Artemis that they shouldn't have a relationship. My first story, so please R&R!
1. Snap Shot

Snap Shot:

"Please…Artemis, don't…." Holly Short shook her head. She put her hand to her forehead, gently caressing her temples. Why did he have to do this to her? Didn't he understand? Couldn't he understand how hard he was making it for her to say no?

"Holly, why? I don't understand you. Is it the age difference? The species difference? Is it because…I'm human?" Holly glanced up at her human partner for an instant; she regretted it. She'd never seen Artemis look so young. So weak. So vulnerable. His mismatched eyes, wide and pleading, betrayed his youth, and it broke her heart to see them so distraught. She bit her lip, wishing she could feel nothing, be nothing. At least for Artemis's sake.

"Holly," he murmured, doing a very un-Artemis-like thing by taking her hand in his own. "I'm not asking for you to love me or give yourself up to the human world. I just wish you'd give it….me….a try." Holly took another deep breath.

"Artemis, do you have a photo album?" Artemis blinked. This was not the come-back he'd been expecting.

"Holly, I don't see what this has to do with-"

"Just get it for me. Please, Artemis?" The confused mortal nodded once and stood. Holly took the time he was gone to compose herself mentally and physically-she would need the strength soon.

Soon the Mud Boy was back, a small album in hand. Holly took it from him, carefully undoing the ribbon binding it together, leafing through its contents. Artemis watched her, perplexed, wondering what she was thinking. When the elf stopped at a particular page Artemis leaned over to see what she was staring at. It was a photo of Artemis's grandfather, sitting in a leather chair, smoking a cigar.

"Did you know that I was born around the same time this picture was taken?" the elf said, her eyes never leaving the page. "I was an infant." She turned the page and came across another photo. "Is that your mother?" she asked suddenly. Before Artemis could respond she replied, "And when that was taken I was barley in High School." She turned the page again. "Your parents' wedding. I was just staring collage." Another flip. "Your birth. I was just starting my term at the LEP!" Another flip. "Your ninth birthday. In human years that was the day I turned twenty-five." Holly's voice broke then, a single tear falling down her cheek.

"But what does any of that matter?" Artemis whispered, whipping the tear away.

"It's everything. Don't you understand? Whole lives go by in the time it takes one of my people to grow up! Humans are so…mortal. You live and die, and it feels like I've barely had time to breathe. Your lives are just…snap shots. Moments in time for me. That's why Artemis." She turned her face up to look at him. "I don't want to let myself love you…because then I'll have to let you go in an instant."

There was nothing the young human could think of to say to that as Holly's tears continued.


	2. Eyes

Snap Shot:

"Please…Artemis, don't…." Holly Short shook her head. She put her hand to her forehead, gently caressing her temples. Why did he have to do this to her? Didn't he understand? Couldn't he understand how hard he was making it for her to say no?

"Holly, why? I don't understand you. Is it the age difference? The species difference? Is it because…I'm human?" Holly glanced up at her human partner for an instant; she regretted it. She'd never seen Artemis look so young. So weak. So vulnerable. His mismatched eyes, wide and pleading, betrayed his youth, and it broke her heart to see them so distraught. She bit her lip, wishing she could feel nothing, be nothing. At least for Artemis's sake.

"Holly," he murmured, doing a very un-Artemis-like thing by taking her hand in his own. "I'm not asking for you to love me or give yourself up to the human world. I just wish you'd give it….me….a try." Holly took another deep breath.

"Artemis, do you have a photo album?" Artemis blinked. This was not the come-back he'd been expecting.

"Holly, I don't see what this has to do with-"

"Just get it for me. Please, Artemis?" The confused mortal nodded once and stood. Holly took the time he was gone to compose herself mentally and physically-she would need the strength soon.

Soon the Mud Boy was back, a small album in hand. Holly took it from him, carefully undoing the ribbon binding it together, leafing through its contents. Artemis watched her, perplexed, wondering what she was thinking. When the elf stopped at a particular page Artemis leaned over to see what she was staring at. It was a photo of Artemis's grandfather, sitting in a leather chair, smoking a cigar.

"Did you know that I was born around the same time this picture was taken?" the elf said, her eyes never leaving the page. "I was an infant." She turned the page and came across another photo. "Is that your mother?" she asked suddenly. Before Artemis could respond she replied, "And when that was taken I was barley in High School." She turned the page again. "Your parents' wedding. I was just staring collage." Another flip. "Your birth. I was just starting my term at the LEP!" Another flip. "Your ninth birthday. In human years that was the day I turned twenty-five." Holly's voice broke then, a single tear falling down her cheek.

"But what does any of that matter?" Artemis whispered, whipping the tear away.

"It's everything. Don't you understand? Whole lives go by in the time it takes one of my people to grow up! Humans are so…mortal. You live and die, and it feels like I've barely had time to breathe. Your lives are just…snap shots. Moments in time for me. That's why Artemis." She turned her face up to look at him. "I don't want to let myself love you…because then I'll have to let you go in an instant."

There was nothing the young human could think of to say to that as Holly's tears continued.

**A/N: Okay, here's another short on Holly and Artemis. Thanks for the fast reviews! Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: (sorry I forgot to do this last time) I don't own Artemis Fowl. I just own a keyboard. **

Eyes:

When you woke up every morning to stare into the eyes of someone you'd hurt, your life became miserable. In Holly Short's opinion it made you wish you'd never gotten the courage to get out of bed in the morning.

Holly stared into Artemis's eye and her own as she dressed that morning. She stared into the sad baby-blue eye that was now fitted onto her face; a permanent curse on her heart. _And I deserve it. I've caused him so much pain…_Holly fingered the skin beneath her human eye, wishing it would disappear. And it would be all the worse once she left her house.

That eye would stare at her all day, relentlessly. That sad, lonely eye would be there, haunting her. She would see its reflection in store windows and in puddles; in mirrors and photographs. It would remind her of the Mud Boy she'd left behind; it would remind her of the pain she felt deep inside of her heart, a place she never let anyone see, human or elf. It would remind her of the words she'd spoken to Artemis to break his faith in her; the words she would forever regret.

A single tear trickled down Holly's cheek. She now knew the truth.

Yes, one day she would lose Artemis. One day death would come knocking at his door, and Holly would have to stand by and let it take the person she loved away from her. One day she would be forced to mourn his early demise.

But now she would also be filled with regret.

What would it have been like if she'd let them try? Where would love have taken them? Would she for some time, no matter how short, have had someone to hold and share her life with? Would have been happy?

_And now I'll never know…_Holly ran a brush through her hair for the final time that morning. She straightened her shoulders and swallowed her self-pity.

_Oh, what a fool I am….._


	3. Obvious

**A/N: Okay, so I've finally gotten all the kinks out of my system. I would herby like to apologize to everyone about my slip-up with ch. 2. Now, to all those it may concern, this ch. Does have one swear word in it, so don't read it if you are going to be offended. Thanks for all the fast reviews! Please keep 'em coming!**

Obvious:

With Opal on the lose Foaly was even more paranoid then usual. Normally he'd run one systems check on the computer network at LEP daily, but with Opal on the loose, he'd been running them by the hour. At the moment Foaly was running a check on the databases when he was interrupted by a loud cry of, "Oh, Hellfire!" Foaly jerked around in his seat to see what was causing all the commotion.

Artemis stood a few feet away, clutching his bleeding hand and swearing under his breath. He'd cut his upturned palm on a letter opener, and blood was dripping down his arm and staining the carpet. _And we just had that cleaned!_ Foaly thought as he watched the Mud Boy search for a bandage.

At that moment Holly stepped inside the room, clutching some files Foaly had asked her to bring him. The second she saw Artemis's bleeding hand she put down the files and rushed to his side, her eyebrows pinched in worry.

"Artemis, what happened?" she asked. Artemis grinned sheepishly at her.

"I cut myself with a letter opener, trying to read that message from Trouble." Holly shook her head, her short red hair bouncing back and forth across her face.

"You Mud Men are so clumsy," she muttered. Foaly watched her lead Artemis to a chair. "Here, why don't you let me heal that?" She took his palm in her small hand, gently pressing her fingers to the cut. Foaly heard Artemis hiss at the contact, and the sigh as bright blue sparks flew from Holly's fingertips, healing him.

Foaly watched as Artemis relaxed, enjoying the euphoria that came with the healing. He watched as the Mud Boy turned to gaze down lovingly at the tiny elf, his eyes fixed on her auburn hair. Foaly watched as Holly finished her healing, the blue sparks receding.

"There," Holly said, dropping Artemis's hand. "It's good as new. Like it never happened." At that moment their eyes met and Foaly couldn't help but notice how they stayed locked on each other longer than was strictly necessary.

Holly stood and walked away, picking up her files as she did. Artemis stared after her for a moment before turning to the letter he had been trying to read. As he did so Holly glanced up at him, her eyes filled with uncertainty and, if Foaly was not mistaken, longing. Foaly chuckled and turned back to his computer.

_Is it really so obvious to everyone _but_ them what's been going on?_


End file.
